Every now and then, almost every professional runs into a situation where he/she is expected to do something that violates their conscience – something unethical. How do you handle that?
I was in the third year in a very fulfilling and lucrative sales position. I was good at it, was well-respected in the market and inside the company, and was enjoying an excellent income.
The company I worked for, however, had a reputation for being short-term focused and occasionally taking shortcuts. They came out with a new product and gave every salesperson a quota for selling it. The quota was prefaced by the announcement that the company had invested greatly in the development of this new product and needed to get its investment back. Therefore, the quota wasn’t optional. It wasn’t a “Here’s what we’d like to see you sell” approach. Instead, it was “If you don’t sell this, your job is in jeopardy.”
After a few sales, it became clear that the product did not work as advertised. If I continued to sell it, I’d actually damage my customers and create a black spot on my reputation as well as the company’s. Further, as a Christian, I saw that continuing to sell it was promoting a lie.
I was faced with a major ethical conflict: Follow the company’s direction, or follow my conscience?
I suspect that many other Christian professionals have been, or will be, faced with a similar conflict. How do you handle a situation where your employer wants you to do something that violates your conscience?
I’ve gained experience with this over the years. Here are five thoughts to consider.
First
If you are a Christian, you start every one of these matters with a great deal of prayer. Bring the issue to God as clearly and specifically as you can and do so on several occasions. You should have the sense that God is involved in this situation because you invited him in.
Second
Make sure it really is unethical. It could be that your perspective is a bit off. Maybe you interpreted something incorrectly or your views are skewered in ways that distort reality. So, first, make sure the thing your employer is asking you do to is really unethical.
Find a couple of experienced Christian men and women who are older, more experienced, and wiser, and run it by them. Try to be as objective as possible when you tell them your story, so it isn’t tainted by your viewpoint.
If they agree that the action you’re being expected to take is unethical, then move on to the next step. If not, if it’s you and not the company that is the issue, then you don’t have a conflict. Instead, you need to educate your conscience a bit.
Third
Create an alternative action. In other words, instead of doing the unethical thing the company wants you to do, offer an alternative plan. Is there some other way to achieve the company’s objectives, other than acting unethically?
Offer that plan to your supervisor. That way, the situation is not seen, from your employer’s point of view, as a refusal to do what you are asked to do, but rather a discussion of alternate ways of accomplishing the same goal. This will take the personal egos out of the situation and show your manager that you are creative and on the company’s side. You avoid a contest of wills by reframing the situation from a “Yes” or “No” situation and a being viewed as defiant, to a discussion of alternative approaches.
There is a great biblical example of this from the life of Daniel. You’ll remember that he and his friends were expected to eat the food prepared by the king’s servants. Daniel felt that violated his ethics, and, instead of just refusing, Daniel offered an alternative plan. (See Daniel, chapter one.) The supervisor agreed to try it, and Daniel avoided a confrontation.
Fourth
Try not to let the event jeopardize the relationship. Hopefully, you have nurtured a relationship with your manager such that he/she sees you as a valuable employee, enjoys your company, and respects your opinions.
If that’s the case, your proposal will be far more likely to be seriously considered than if you’ve been a fault-finding, nitpicky complainer.
Fifth
If you’ve done all that and are unable to convince the company to ease up on its unethical demands of you, then you have a choice: to leave, or to stay and violate your conscience. Before you make this difficult decision, bring the decision to God and ask for his direction and guidance. Then, expect that He will guide you, and follow the direction He gives you.
It may be that this incident puts you into a better place. Remember, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Back to my story. How did that work out? The company saw that it had a problem with the product and backed off of the quota a bit. My manager left the company for personal reasons, and the demand to sell the produce just faded away. A short time later, I resigned.
Related Resources
www.davekahle.com/entertaining-customers-that-dont-want-connection
www.davekahle.com/business-model-leadership-character
Copyright MMXXIII by Dave Kahle
All rights reserved
Dave Kahle has been a Bible teacher, elder, house church leader, short-term missionary and Christian executive roundtable leader. For 30 years, he has been an authority on sales and sales systems, having spoken in 47 states and eleven countries. He has authored 13 books, including The Good Book on Business. His books have been translated into eight-plus languages and are available in over 20 countries. He holds a B. of ED from the University of Toledo, and MA in Teaching from Bowling Green University. He and Coleen split their time between Grand Rapids, Michigan and Sarasota, Florida. He is a father, foster father, adoptive father and grandfather to 14 children.
